Religious beliefs trump hurricane relief

NBC2 News OnLine ^ | October 29, 2005 | Danielle Pepe

[gcruse]

Link: Religious beliefs trump hurricane relief.

Hurricane victims who wanted water had some difficulty finding it at a relief station in Clewiston Friday. The volunteer group running a supply center doesn't like the company that donated the water, so they decided not to give it to those in line for help.

Twenty-two pallets of the canned water, distributed free by beer company Anheuser-Busch, bears the company's label – and members of the Southern Baptist Convention refused to hand it out to those in need.

[Matchett-PI]

"If I understood your words you more or less said if they {SB} got enough power they would force it on it or something like that. I know I took exception to your remarks.Evidently after reading some replies to you others have questioned your remarks."

Each "individual" is responsible for his own attitude regardless of what organization he does or doesn't belong to. There are plenty of religious people (on the left and on the right) who covet the reins of power so as to be able to impose their personal conscience on the rest of us. C.S. Lewis nailed their "moral busibody" attitude perfectly. Lucky for us, the Constitution stands in their way.

[Petronski]

If the TV station hadn't raised the issue, would any of the volunteers have handed out the water?

[taxesareforever]

I don't get the whole article. Why can't other people hand out the water?

Try it. You can't get very much in your hand.

[Oztrich Boy]

These were cans... I'm guessing pre-printed beer cans that were filled with plain water instead of beer on the production line.

Actually no This is what those wowsers are objecting to

[mdmathis6]

I didn't read 37 52 or 53, just happened to respond to your posting.

So cool it with the indirect insults buddy...I'll look at the postings and perhaps cure my so- called "obtuseness".

And by the way, note my tag line, I've read just about every book by Lewis I could ever get my hands on!

[Gamecock]

Jesus turns water into wine,

Baptists refuse water from a beer company

Go fiqure.

[Matchett-PI]

"I've read just about every book by Lewis I could ever get my hands on!"

Comprehending what we read requires either a lack of obtuseness or a state of NOT being in denial so that we are able to recognize ourselves.

[gcruse]

Baptists out-Jesus Jesus?

[pageonetoo]

My first Deacon's meeting, after being elected at an SBC church, was at the head deacons fishing camp. He served Cokes, Pepsis, Mountain Dew, or Budweiser...

[gcruse]

Heh. That's sort of the way I remember it, too. Muslims aren't the only hypersensitives nowadays, tho. At least this group didn't behead anyone.

[TypeZoNegative]

Religious legalism strikes again.

[frannie]

I meant it is alright to advertise. I only said I might have SCRATCHED it off, knowing me the advertisement wouldn't have bothered me at all. As a member of the SB I would have handed out whatever had been donated to anyone in need.

How many charities or churches know who gave, how they earned or where the funds that they are receiving came from? There would be very little to distribute if we questioned the giver's right to donate.

Thanks for letting me try to explain, nothing ever reads like I mean it. My lack of expressing myself well, I think.

[KeithHinson]

Volunteers working with the Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Unit honored the request of the host pastor to set aside canned water with an Anheuser-Busch logo. At no time was anyone deprived of water. In fact, there was a huge surplus of bottled and canned water available at the Clewiston relief site. There was never any disruption in the supply of water being given out to members of the public who continued to receive food, water and other types of assistance from Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief workers.
It is an absolute falsehood to suggest -- as many irresponsible bloggers have -- that the Baptist volunteers withheld the basic needs of life from Floridians impacted by the hurricane. Contrary to misinterpretations of news reports, no one was denied access to water.
One may disagree with the strong stand that many Southern Baptists take against the consumption of alcohol. One may even regard such opposition to alcohol as offensive.
But it's impossible to say truthfully that this conviction caused any inconvenience or shortage for victims of Hurricane Wilma. The facts are exactly the opposite.
The fact is that virtually all of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers serve selflessly -- taking time away from employment and family to minister in the name of Jesus Christ. Churches such as First Baptist Church, Clewiston, graciously serve as host sites -- providing a place where food, water and other necessities of life may be obtained by anyone in need -- without regard to religion or any other demographic consideration.

-- Keith Hinson, public relations associate
Alabama Baptist Convention State Board of Missions
Montgomery, Alabama

[gcruse]

Whether Baptists are against beer or not, what was being distributed was water.

No one suggested the Baptist volunteers needed to drink any of the water if they chose not to. But for them to foist that aversion-at-a-remove off onto people who wanted water to drink is not very Christian. If wine was good enough for Jesus it was beyond churlish to refuse to deliver water --not even beer-- which other people had donated for relief.